When you get a brief biography of a band and you hear that their influences range from the Rolling Stones to Hip Hop greats, you know you’re in for a great tune.

From formation in 2015 in St Albans, founding members Brendan Aherne, Sam Privett, Fabio Bocca and Kalyan Rogers have already written some powerful and diverse songs, attracting attention and praise from different corners of the music world. They are just about to start a run of shows around the UK and the release of ‘Surrender’ will certainly give some new listeners a taste of what could be in store at the gigs. 

From the smooth jazz like chord sequence at the beginning of the song, the warm bass, high synth and guitar lead you just feel that this song is going to be a hit. Alexis Kings have created a quite brilliant sound that crosses genres and has a clinical production. The busy guitar and bass are balanced beautifully against the main vocalist, with warm harmonies that back the chorus. The breaks of just vocals, drums and bass showcase the talent of all three players, but also the creativity to pull together the texture of the song. What ‘Surrender’ has that a lot of modern songs doesn’t, is a very accomplished guitar solo that cleanly flows, following the groove and adds another dimension. There are hints to Prince even some Jamiroquai in the music, with words that tell a story of unrequited love, that fit wonderfully with the overall melody. 

What Surrender does is showcase some fantastic musicians and songwriters who we will surely hear more of over the coming months. If you listen carefully you can hear subtle nods all the way through to the influences they credit. Even though they appear to be hugely diverse, you can see how the blend of these artists fits to create this song and the overall feel of the music that Alexis Kings produce.

 Rock 

Author: Phil Arnold

Phil Arnold is a musician, producer and music reviewer from Devon, in the South West of England. Whilst not writing music reviews, Phil also writes and records under the name of Ugbrooke.